According to court records, from 2005-2009 Abboud was the leader of an international drug trafficking organization that imported thousands of pounds of marijuana from the Toronto, Canada area into the U.S. Cash seizures of more than $1.8 million was seized as a result of this prosecution. (Photo by Phil Schermeister)

DETROIT (Tell Us Det) – The final defendant in a sixteen-defendant indictment charging conspiracy to import marijuana from Canada and distribute it in the United States was sentenced today in federal court, United States Attorney Barbara L. McQuade announced.

McQuade was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Robert L. Corso, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Special

Hassan Abboud, 39, of Sterling Heights, Michigan was sentenced by United States District Judge Avern Cohn to 84 months imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release.

According to court records, from 2005-2009 Abboud was the leader of an international drug trafficking organization that imported thousands of pounds of marijuana from the Toronto, Canada area into the U.S. Cash seizures of more than $1.8 million was seized as a result of this prosecution.

The conspirators used various methods to smuggle high-quality “B.C. Bud” marijuana from the Toronto, Canada, area through metropolitan Detroit using trucks, boats and trains, according to court documents.

During the time frame of the conspiracy, Abboud was living near Toronto, Canada, where he obtained the marijuana and would direct shipments of money into Canada. Couriers were used to distribute the marijuana in metro Detroit as well as the Chicago, Illinois area.

Abboud remains in custody, where he has been since April 12, 2012. On that date, he was arrested in a personal pleasure boat in Lake Saint Clair, traveling from Canada to the United States. His presence in Canada was in violation of his bond.

Robert L. Corso, Special Agent in Charge for the DEA, stated that, “This investigation shows that the DEA works closely with our Canadian law enforcement counterparts in an effort to secure our northern border. This investigation, with the combined efforts of our local, federal and Canadian partners, successfully dismantled a large high-grade marijuana smuggling organization.”

“In working with our international law enforcement partners, IRS-Criminal Investigation helped to trace the illegal proceeds of a narcotics ring. As a result, Abboud has been removed from our streets and sitting behind bars,” said Erick Martinez, IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge. United States Attorney McQuade congratulated the DEA Task Force, Toronto Police Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the Sterling Heights Police Department, who were assisted by Customs and Border Protection, Macomb County Enforcement Team, the FBI, the Coast Guard and the Shelby Township Police, as well as our Canadian law enforcement partners involved in the case.

DETROIT (Tell Us USA) – While Mexico celebrates its Mayan Culture, June 26th was declared a Continental Day of Action when workers from throughout the continent convened in front of the Mexican embassies and consulates to demonstrate solidarity with Mexican working class and their unions to protest a terrorist policy of state repression against workers and their organization. The demonstrations also demanded an end to existing labor disputes that involve the Mexican Electrical Workers, the Miners, the Democratic Teachers Union from the National Coordination of Educational Workers and the Mexicana de Aviación [airline] workers. Furthermore, it called for the release of 12 political prisoners who are members of the Mexican Electrical Workers in detention for fighting for their rights to keep their union jobs.

With 35 million Mexican-Americans in the United States, the call was an expression of solidarity among the class-conscious working class of Nuestra [Our] América, meant to stand in unity with concrete actions opposing the neoliberal policies that the international financial oligarchy is attempting to impose on working peoples everywhere. This expression of solidarity with the Mexican working class is intended to send a message that an attack on one sector of the working class is an attack on all workers everywhere. It provided an opportunity for workers — beyond national boundaries — to stand united against the all-out assault on the right to work.

In addition, the significance of this action prior to the July 1 election is testimony to the need for fundamental political change in Mexico. It is a demonstration of support for Mexican workers who are demanding an end to the fascistic PAN-PRI political parties that have imposed the free trade policies — as exemplified by NAFTA – which have condemned millions of workers to unemployment, underemployment or informal work with no social protections, to living a precarious economic and social existence.

The proposal for a Continental Day of Action was presented to the delegates of the V ESNA (V Encuentro Sindical Nuestra (Our) America) held in Mexico City this year from May 21st to 23rd. At this gathering, more than 400 Mexican delegates and 200 other delegates, representing more than 20 countries, came together to debate and discuss capitalism’s impact on workers in the region. The purpose of this meeting was to present the anti-labor policy of the Mexican government and progress towards building new central workers in Mexico. In addition, delegates discussed how to find unity in thought and action within the labor movement in Mexico and Latin America to respond to the capitalist offensive that attempts to strip every last right from workers and promote the accumulation of wealth into the hands of a small number of transnational corporations and individuals.
——————————————————————————–
Articles copyright 1995-2012 Workers’ World. Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.
June 26, 2012 ABC News/Y! Cristiane Amanpour, Global Perspective

DETROIT (Tell Us Det) – The long awaited City Loft has returned to Downtown Detroit with the Somerset Collection pop up shops. Detroiters will be able to thrive on the cities new retail opportunities June 28 – 30, July 26 – 28 and August 16 – 18. The seasonal Somerset Collection City Loft made a debut appearance last summer and merchants across metro Detroit have thrived on the event. Somerset merchants will include Saks Fifth Avenue, Coach, Eddie Bauer, and many more. Nathan Forbes, managing partner of The Forbes Company, owner and manager of Somerset Collection in Troy discussed last years success.

“CityLoft was successful on so many levels … our retail partners met new customers and showcased new merchandise, nearby retailers and restaurants saw an increase in their business, and the enthusiasm from our guests about downtown shopping demonstrated that innovative retail concepts can find a home downtown.”

Downtown Detroit has experienced a revitalization during the past years and the Downtown Detroit Days event (DDD) will make a contribution. The DDD marketplace will spread atop the Premier Parking Garage (former J. L. Hudson store), across Woodward from CityLoft. Downtown Detroit Day vendors will include 31D Clothing, The Peacock Room, INTU Tea, and Savvy Chic just to name a few. During DDDays vendors will be able to operate smaller versions of their stores and display their best work.

During these summer weekends Downtown Detroit will be the place to be for the latest Detroit look. CityLoft attendees will also receive a gift with purchase from each merchant and a $10 Somerset Collection Gift Card with every $100 purchase.

Don’t miss out.

CityLoft and the Downtown Detroit Days Marketplace will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 28 – 30, July 26 – 28 and August 16 – 18 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

DETROIT (Tell Us Det) – An historical gem of Detroit history opened to the public over the weekend for the first time in over 30 years.

The Palmer Park Log Cabin, built in 1885 as the summer home of Senator Thomas Palmer and his wife Lizzie Merrill Palmer, was open to the public Sunday afternoon, a rare treat for the crowds who found the their way to the cabin nestled in a wooded area off Woodward and Merrill Plaisance.

Families and people of all ages turned out to get an up close up view of how a founding family of Detroit lived over a hundred years ago. People of Palmer Park organized the event in conjunction with Michigan Log Cabin Day to raise money for restoration of the cabin and surrounding grounds.

Actors dressed in late 19th century attire, portraying the Palmers, greeted visitors entering the log cabin with it rustic exterior. Inside people found a Victorian style interior with stained glass windows, a massive fire place in the living room and in the kitchen, a wood burning stove.

During its heyday, Senator Palmer enjoyed taking dignitaries and politicians to his log cabin and farm, traveling by horse cart from downtown Detroit for picnics and fireworks displays. All his events were open to the public.

The Palmer family would later donate the cabin, the surrounding 140 acres of and a man-made lake to the city of Detroit in the 1890’s for a public park.

The Palmer Park Log Cabin stayed open until 1979, when the city closed the structure and turned over it antiques and collectibles to the Detroit Historical Society for safekeeping.

People of Palmer Park, a neighborhood group, organized the weekend tours and festivities to share their plans to restore to the log cabin and farm land for public use. They are partnering with the City of Detroit and local businesses to raise funds.

A spokeswoman for the group said they have already winterized the structure and put in protections from “critters that were making it their home”.

Repair or replacement of the log cabin’s roof is a first priority that would cost an estimated $20,000; a complete overhaul of the cabin and it grounds time would run between $150,000 and $200,000. For more information on the People of Palmer and their plans, visit there website. http://peopleforpalmerpark.org

DETROIT – Hundreds of thousands of spectators will line the shores of the Detroit River to enjoy the Target Fireworks display, set for Monday, June 25. The City of Detroit is providing the following information pertaining to the event.

CURFEW ENFORCEMENT

The City will actively enforce a citywide curfew requiring that all minors age 17 and under be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian (with identification). Minors will be allowed to travel to and from work or organized sports. The curfew is in effect from 6 p.m. on June 25 until 6 a.m. on June 26. Minors in violation of the curfew will be issued a ticket. The parent or guardian also may receive a parental responsibility violation ticket.

The following traffic changes will go into effect at approximately 6 p.m.:

• No northbound or southbound traffic will be admitted onto Woodward Avenue between Fisher Freeway and Congress except for emergency vehicles, D-DOT and SMART bus coaches.

• Jefferson Avenue will be closed to eastbound and westbound traffic between the Chrysler Freeway (I-375) and Griswold, except for emergency vehicles. All other eastbound vehicles will be routed north onto the Chrysler service drive.

• West Jefferson from Cobo Center westbound will be closed. Parking will be prohibited on West Jefferson, on Civic Center Drive and on Atwater to St. Aubin.

• Outbound traffic will be routed on West Jefferson from the Joe Louis Arena garage to Rosa Parks Boulevard; traffic will then proceed north on Rosa Parks to the freeways.

• Traffic on Gratiot Avenue between I-375 and Randolph will be routed one way northbound only.

• Traffic on Brush between Lafayette and Madison will be routed northeast onto Gratiot or east onto Madison.

• Monroe Street, between Randolph and Woodward Avenue, will be barricaded and closed. Traffic on Monroe between Randolph and I-375 will be routed to travel eastbound only.

• Third Street at West Jefferson will be closed to the public and restricted for emergency vehicle use.

• Fort Street traffic between Cabacier and Rosa Parks Boulevard will be restricted to residents of the Riverfront Towers Apartments/Condominiums.

• Eastbound traffic on Fort Street will be allowed to turn right onto Griswold and proceed to the Lodge Freeway.

• Traffic on Trumbull Avenue between W. Fort and Fisher Freeway will be routed to travel northbound only.

• Traffic on Larned and Congress will be allowed to flow in respective directions, with no southbound turns except vehicles en route to the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel via Randolph.

• Michigan Avenue traffic will be westbound only.

• All traffic proceeding south on Griswold will be directed to the Lodge Freeway, via Congress.

• Eastbound Lafayette traffic will turn right at Griswold and proceed to westbound Congress to northbound Lodge freeway.

• St. Antoine traffic flow will be one way northbound from Atwater after the fireworks display.

• Woodbridge, Franklin, and Atwater between St. Antoine and Rivard will be one way, eastbound throughout the evening.

• Rivard will be one way northbound from Atwater to Lafayette after the fireworks display.

• E. Grand Blvd. will be used for outbound traffic from Belle Isle. Belle Isle traffic will proceed northbound on East Grand Boulevard and eastbound on East Jefferson.

• No parking on West Jefferson between 23rd and St. Anne.

• All the main streets – Michigan, Grand River, Gratiot, E. Grand Blvd. and W. Grand Blvd. – will remain open to allow motorists access to freeways. Woodward will remain open north of the Fisher Freeway service drive.

• Beginning at 4 p.m., surface streets south of Jefferson between Rivard and Chene will be closed to all vehicles but open to pedestrians only. These areas will be swept by the Detroit Police Department, and all vehicles present will be towed.**

• Beginning at 6 p.m., freeways will begin to close.**

• There will be no vehicular traffic south of Jefferson from Third to Jos. Campau.

** The Detroit Police Department reserves the right to request closure of the freeways and
surfaces streets earlier or later, depending on the volume of vehicle traffic.

TOWING

Towed vehicles within the downtown area will be held at 2121 W. Fort near Rosa Parks. Vehicles towed on Belle Isle will remain on the island. Tow lots close at 1 a.m. The fee for towing is $75.

VIEWING AREAS

The following locations have been identified as the best viewing sites:

• Entry to Hart Plaza will close once it has reached desired capacity.

• No tents allowed.

• No alcohol, pets, or contraband (weapons, knives, etc.) will be allowed.

• Flames or fires are prohibited, and cooking is prohibited.

• Reserving an area in excess of the number of people currently in the group is prohibited.

• Coolers and backpacks will be searched.

Belle Isle

• Belle Isle will still be accessible for normal activity on June 25.

• On Sunday, June 24, the ordinance that limits access to Belle Isle after 10 p.m. will be enforced. No overnight parking or camping will be allowed on June 24.

• Access to Belle Isle begins at 6 a.m. on June 25 until desired capacity is reached. At that time, parking will be allowed on Sunset around to the Strand. No parking will be allowed around the Scott Fountain.

• Parking on the Casino paddock is $10 per car and $20 per recreational vehicle.

• Beginning the evening of Sunday, June 24 until Monday, June 25 at 6 a.m., these streets will be closed: From the Message Board on Sunset, down Fountain Dr., around the Fountain and out the Strand, Casino Way to Sunset, and Picnic Way to the Strand.

• 10’ x 10’ canopies with no sides are allowed. Canopies larger than 10’ x 10’ are not allowed.

• Grilling must only take place in designated areas.

Detroit RiverWalk

• East of Orleans – No vehicular traffic will be allowed, only pedestrians.

• RiverWalk, from Orleans west to Third (Joe Louis Arena), will be closed at 1 p.m.

• Reserving an area in excess of the number of people currently in the group is prohibited.

• No alcohol, pets or contraband will be allowed.

• Coolers and backpacks will be searched.

• Flames or fires are prohibited.

• No tents allowed.

TRANSPORTATION – DETROIT PEOPLE MOVER

The Detroit People Mover (DPM) will operate from 6:30 a.m. – midnight.
Due to the early closures of the Cobo, Millender and Renaissance centers, trains will bypass these facilities on June 25 beginning at 3 p.m. There will be no public access to these People Mover stations. All other DPM stations will remain open and receive train service until midnight.
The fare is 75 cents per ride, and children ages five and under ride free. For more information, go online to http://www.thepeoplemover.com or call (313) 224-2160.

MUNICIPAL PARKING

Motorists are advised to observe parking restrictions. Parking violators will be ticketed, and in some instances, vehicles may be towed. Motorists will be ticketed for:

Improper parking (vehicles within 20 feet from crosswalk; within 15 feet from an intersection, within 30 feet of a stop sign or traffic control device; and within 15 feet of a fire hydrant)

Parking in designated zones, such as handicap zones (without proper credentials), fire lane, no parking zones or no standing zones.

The Municipal Parking Department also will not enforce parking meters.

Parking Facilities and Lots

To accommodate parking for individuals attending the Fireworks, MPD will offer a $5 rate at the following City-owned garages and lots

Ford Underground Garage 6 a.m. – 1 a.m. $5
30 E. Jefferson

Joe Louis Arena Garage 8 a.m. – 1 a.m. $5
900 W. Jefferson

Millennium Garage 6 a.m. – 1 a.m. $5
432 W. Congress

Premier Garage 24 hours $5
1206-08 Woodward Ave.

Cadillac/Farmer Lot 6 a.m. – 1 a.m. $5
1025 Farmer

Fireworks viewing from any parking facility and tailgating are prohibited. For more information, call (313) 221-2500 or go online to http://www.detroitmi.gov/parking.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Residents must take steps to ensure their family is prepared for a possible emergency. Important
items to have ready include:

BELLEFONTE, PA – For years, the children Jerry Sandusky had preyed upon kept quiet about what the former Penn State assistant football coach did to them in echoing shower stalls, empty hotel rooms and the muffled confines of his basement bedroom.

Late Friday, after a swift trial and less than two days of deliberations, a jury issued an emphatic verdict: Sandusky was guilty on 45 counts of sexual abuse, meaning the man once considered a successor to coach Joe Paterno will likely die in prison.

The verdict is not the end of the scandal that took down Paterno and deeply shook the state’s most prominent university. It will play out for years in courtrooms and through a set of ongoing investigations.

But the trial did present one piece of finality: Sandusky was taken away in handcuffs to the county jail. Sentencing will be in about three months, but mandatory minimums will keep him behind bars for life.

“One of the recurring themes in this case was, `Who would believe a kid?'” Attorney General Linda Kelly said. “The answer is, we in Bellefonte, Pa., would believe a kid.”

Sandusky, a retired defensive coach, showed little emotion as the verdict was read, giving his wife, Dottie, and family members a half-wave as the county sheriff led him away.

There were only three acquittals among the charges related to 10 victims, eight of whom took the stand to describe fondling, forced oral sex and anal rape. Many of the accusers testified that they had told no one of the abuse that dated as far back as the mid-1990s – not parents, not girlfriends and not police.

The accuser known in court papers as Victim 6, whose mother alerted authorities in 1998 after Sandusky took her son into a shower, broke down in tears upon hearing the verdicts in the courtroom. Afterward, a prosecutor embraced him and said, “Did I ever lie to you?”

The man, now 25, testified that Sandusky called himself the “tickle monster” in a shower assault. He declined to comment to a reporter afterward. His mother said: “Nobody wins. We’ve all lost.”

One of the three counts for which Sandusky was acquitted concerned Victim 6, an indecent assault charge. The man testified that Sandusky had given him a bear hug in the shower but at one point he just “blacked out.”

The other acquittals were an indecent assault charge related to Victim 5, who said Sandusky fondled him in the shower, and an involuntary deviate sexual intercourse charge regarding Victim 2, the boy graduate assistant Mike McQueary saw being attacked in a campus shower.
Almost immediately after the judge adjourned, loud cheers could be heard from a couple hundred people gathered outside the courthouse as word quickly spread that Sandusky had been convicted. The crowd included victim advocates and local residents with their kids. Many held up their smartphones to take pictures as people filtered out of the building.

As Sandusky was placed in the cruiser to be taken to jail, someone yelled at him to “rot in hell!” Others hurled insults and he shook his head no in response.

Defense attorney Joe Amendola was interrupted by cheers from the crowd on the courthouse steps when he said, “The sentence that Jerry will receive will be a life sentence.”

In addition to the eight who testified, there were two yet-unidentified victims for whom prosecutors relied on testimony from a university janitor and McQueary, whose account of a sexual encounter between Sandusky and a boy of about 10 years old ultimately led to the Paterno’s dismissal and the university president’s ouster.

Sandusky did not take the stand in his own defense.

After the verdict was announced, defense attorney Karl Rominger said it was “a tough case” with a lot of charges and that an appeal was certain. He said the defense team “didn’t exactly have a lot of time to prepare.”

The ex-coach had repeatedly denied the allegations, and his defense suggested that his accusers had a financial motive to make up stories, years after the fact. His attorneys also painted Sandusky as the victim of overzealous police investigators who coached the alleged victims into giving accusatory statements.

One accuser testified that Sandusky molested him in the locker-room showers and in hotels while trying to ensure his silence with gifts and trips to bowl games. He also said Sandusky had sent him “creepy love letters.”

Another spoke of forced oral sex and instances of rape in the basement of Sandusky’s home, including abuse that left him bleeding. He said he once tried to scream for help, knowing that Sandusky’s wife was upstairs, but figured the basement must be soundproof.

Another, a foster child, said Sandusky warned that he would never see his family again if he ever told anyone what happened.

And just hours after the case went to jurors, lawyers for one of Sandusky’s six children, Matt, said he had told authorities that his father abused him.

Matt Sandusky had been prepared to testify on behalf of prosecutors, his lawyers said in a statement. The lawyers said they arranged for Matt Sandusky to meet with law enforcement officials but did not explain why he didn’t testify.

“This has been an extremely painful experience for Matt and he has asked us to convey his request that the media respect his privacy,” the statement said. It didn’t go into details about his allegations.

Defense witnesses, including Dottie Sandusky, described Sandusky’s philanthropic work with children over the years, and many spoke in positive terms about his reputation in the community. Prosecutors had portrayed those efforts as an effective means by which Sandusky could camouflage his molestation as he targeted boys who were the same age as participants in The Second Mile, a charity he founded in the 1970s for at-risk youth.

Sandusky’s arrest in November led the Penn State trustees to fire Paterno as head coach, saying he exhibited a lack of leadership after fielding a report from McQueary. The scandal also led to the ouster of university President Graham Spanier and criminal charges against two university administrators for failing to properly report suspected child abuse and perjury.

The two administrators, athletic director Tim Curley and now-retired vice president Gary Schultz, are fighting the allegations and await trial.

The family of Paterno, who died exactly five months before Sandusky’s conviction, released a statement saying: “Although we understand the task of healing is just beginning, today’s verdict is an important milestone. The community owes a measure of gratitude to the jurors for their diligent service. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims and their families.”

In a statement, Penn State praised the accusers who testified and said that it planned to invite the victims of Sandusky’s abuse to participate in a private program to address their concerns and compensate them for claims related to the school.

Sandusky had initially faced 52 counts of sex abuse. Prosecutors dropped one count and the judge tossed three others during the trial, on grounds two were unproven, one was brought under a statute that didn’t apply and another was duplicative.

DETROIT (Tell Us Det) – Roaring in the sky was a World War II B17 Bomber from Yankee Air Museum saluting the 15 Tuskegee Airmen. Along with a proclamation from the City of Detroit made in honor to the Tuskegee Airmen by Mayor Dave Bing were the highlights of the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy kickoff of its 6th Annual Detroit River Days Festival

For those who are not familiar with the Tuskegee Airmen, they were a group of 932 pilots who trained at the Tuskegee Institute’s Division of Aeronautics, located in Alabama, with 355 pilots deployed overseas. Of that group, 30 pilots were prisoners of war and Alex Jefferson was a prisoner of war at the infamous Stalag Pow Camp.

The Red Tails were the first African-American military aviators in the United States Armed Forces. During World War II, African Americans in the United States were still subject to Jim Crow Laws. The American military was racially segregated. Despite these adversities, they trained and flew with distinction. So, we do still respectively honor the Tuskegee Airmen.

Faye Nelson, President and CEO and Matt Cullen, Board Chairman of the Detroit RiverFront Conservancy, and Robert Bury, CEO of the Detroit Historical Society were on hand to invite and welcome everyone to the festival.

The Detroit River Days Festival will be held for three days with such events as the Detroit River ArtScape competition, outdoor activities from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Maritime themed activities from the Detroit Historical Society, performers by local and national musicians with Boyz II Men, the Whispers and Kansas, a 5K run/walk and Pooch-a-Palooza canine walk and much more.

The 2012 River Days Festival kicks off Friday, June 22 at 11:00am and spans from the William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor to the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority Terminal & Dock, west of the Renaissance Center. The festival hours are 11am-11pm on Friday and Saturday, and 11am-10pm on Sunday. Admission is $3 before 5pom, $5 after 5:00pm and free on Friday until 5:00pm. For more information visit www.RiverDay.com